Garment-supporter



- (No Model.)

B. s. WILLARD.

GARMENT SUPPORTER- No. 498,527. Patented m 30, 1893.

UNETE ATES RODNEY S. WILLARD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GARMENT-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,527, dated May 30, 1893.

Application filed January 26, 1893. Serial No. 459.804- (No model.)

spreading. The lower edge I) of the said slide I To all whom it may concern.-

Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new Improvement in Garment-Supporters; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a view in front elevation showing the device in its open adjustment; Fig. 2, a similar view showing it in its closed adjustment; Fig. 3, a view of the device in side elevation.

My invention relates to an improvement in garment-supporters, the object being to produce a simple, convenient, durable, effective and inexpensive article.

With these ends in view my improved device consists of a frame made of wire, a sheetmetal slide clasped upon the sides of the frame and preventingthe same from spreading, and sliding upon them under friction and a studplate hinged at its upper end to the said slide, and provided at its lower end with a stud, the head of which is made too large to pass through a contracted portion of the frame.

As herein shown, the frameA of the device is formed from a single piece of wire, the ends of which are inserted into and secured within the opposite ends of a small sheet-metal roller A. The said frame is transversely enlarged at its upper end, to form as it were an eye a, which adapts the device to be secured to a strap, the opposite end of which is attached to a garment. The lower end of the said frame forms a loop, the upper portion of which is enlarged by bowing the opposite sides of the frame outward, as at a a, while its lower portion is contracted, as at a by drawing the said sides of the frame together. Between the said eye a, and the outwardly bowed portions-a a of the loop, the sides a a of the frame are nearly parallel, diverging, however, slightly, as they approach the loop. A sheet-metal slide l3,is mounted upon the sides a a of the frame, so as to slide thereupon, the ends of the said metal being bent forward around said portions o a of the frame, as at b b. The said slide thus prevents the said sides of the frame from is turned backward and upward, to form one member of a hinge, the other member 0, of which consists of a bar formed at the for Wardly bent upper edge of a flat stud-plate 0, made of sheet-metal, and having its upper end constructed very near its upper edge with a long narrow slot 0', resulting in the formation of the bar 0, before mentioned. In this manner the said slide and plate are hinged together. The plate carries at its lower end, which is rounded in form, a forwardly projecting stud D, the head of which is adapted in size to pass freely through the enlarged upper portion of the loop of the frame, but made too large to pass through the contracted lower end thereof, though its shank will enter the same. The diverging sides of the frame are adapted in their divergence to normally support the slide at their upper ends, so that the stud D, of the plate 0, will n'ormallybe held in range with the enlarged upper portlon of the loop. This makes the device convenient to use, as the stud is supported in place without assistance from the user, while the edge of the stocking or other garment is being inserted between the stud-plate and the lower end of the frame, in position for being caught between the same. Then when the slide is pushed downward to the enlarged upper end of the loop, which forms a stop for it it is held in that position, because the diverging sides of the frame are drawn together with enough force to produce the friction required for holding the slide there. When the slide moves downward, the shank of the stud enters the contracted portion of the loop, whereby the stud-plate is locked in position to hold the stocking or garment, which can only be released by pushing the slide upward, and swinging the stud-plate away from the frame, so that the stud will be cleared from the enlarged upper portion of the loop.

I am aware that a garment-supporter having'a frame constructed at its lower end with an opening contracted at its lower end, a slide mounted on the upper portion of the said frame, and a stud-plate hinged to the slide, is old. I am also aware that a garment-supporter having a wire member shaped to form a loop contracted at its lower end is old. I do not, therefore, claim either of those con- ICC structions broadly, but only my particular de- V106.

Generally devices of this character are used for supporting stockings, but it is apparent that they maybe employed in connection with other portions of the dress if desired.

I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein shown and described, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The herein described stocking-supporter, consisting of a flexible wire frame adapted at its upper end to be attached to a strap and constructed at its lower end with a loop comprising an enlarged and a contracted portion,

and with slightly diverging sides located between its enlarged portion and its upper end, a sheet-m etal slide clasped upon the said sides of the frame and drawing the same together when moved to the enlarged portion of the loop, and a stud-plate hinged to the said slide, and carrying a stud, the head of which is too large to pass through the contracted portion of the loop, substantially as described, and whereby the said slide not only prevents the sides of the frame from spreading, but is held in place upon them by friction.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RODNEY S. WILLARD.

WVitnesses:

CHESTER A. REED, GEORGE W. ANDERSON. 

